I want my twenty four weeks back.
I keep opening blank Word documents with the full intent to write a review for Argevollen, only to either write about Gundam instead, or put away the computer with the document still blank. I’ve only realized now in typing that out that it’s a fairly perfect demonstration of the issue with Argevollen – even mediocre Gundam iterations are more worthwhile, and Argevollen is basically a blank space itself.
There is no reason for Argevollen to exist; its existence is pointless. It didn’t bring anything new to the table, had nothing new to say, and couldn’t even manage to make forcefully the statements/arguments it did lackadaisically grasp after (i.e. corporations are bad, war is bad), instead vaguely waving in the direction of these ideas before forgetting about them for weeks, if not months, at a time. It would be interesting to watch a show dealing with conflict or conflicts fuelled not simply by pride and a thirst for independence/territory, but also by the business interests from arms manufacturers, but Argevollen doesn’t have the guts or wherewithal to fully commit to this angle. Crawl out of your anime cave and go watch Lord of War instead.
I likely sound harsh, which is an accurate reflection of my sentiments toward Argevollen. I feel like watching it was a complete waste of time, which is a rare reaction from me; even with shows I dislike, I at least gain something from the experience. Not at all the case here! I may as well have simply sat staring at a wall for twenty-three minutes once a week – it would’ve been the same net effect. I just feel as if I’ve been swindled by wasting my time away. I wish I’d gone with my gut and not bothered with the final two episodes at all (I dropped this for the fourth time after the eyeroll-inducing episode twenty-two only to grudgingly knock out the last two since others said “But you might as well!”). (And why did I picked it up again so many times before that? Well, a little bird kept chirping away that week something-or-other’s episode was quite good! I should catch up and give it another chance, things were turning around for it…)
The only other matter worth mentioning is how hilariously the final episode set it all up for a sequel. Really? Your DVD sales have been solidly in the three-figures per volume. Dream on.
Don’t watch this. If you’re a mech fan, you’ll probably find it uninspired at best, and if you’re not a mech fan, it isn’t remotely essential, even if you’re trying to put some more mech in your diet. Even the crappy Gundam series feel like they exist for some reason; this does not.
GAR GAR Stegosaurus 